My Global Hustle

For the first time on the continent of Africa, new photographic works will be exhibited by Zwelethu Mthethwa, one of South Africa’s most influential contemporary artists. iArt Gallery is delighted to be opening the exhibition to the public in May/June 2011. The exhibition comprises a selection of photographs from the series The Brave Ones and The End of an Era.

The Brave Ones is a series of portraits – often, group portraits – of young men from the Shembe Church group during their annual pilgrimage to the sacred mountain of Nhlangakazi in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Although the history of the group and their rituals is fascinating in itself, Mthethwa’s interest lies rather in the peculiar costumes of the gathering, specifically the men. The portraits, set in the greenery of the Kwa-Zulu Natal landscape, depict boys of various ages wearing bizarre combinations of Western garb appropriated from various traditions and cultures.

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Zwelethu Mthethwa – Untitled From the Series: THE BRAVE ONES

18 May – 29 June 2011

iArt Gallery 71 Loop Street , Cape Town